1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to closure means and is particularly directed to controllably openable closure means for safely locking containers for liquid and solid medicines and other dangerous substances to prevent accidental or undesired access to the contents of such containers.
2. Prior Art
Although accidental poisonings have decreased since the enactment of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1971, a tragic and unacceptable mortality rate still exists, indicating that even the latest safety packaging is ineffective. Statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Association Of Poison Control Centers clearly identify children, 5 years of age and under, and the elderly as the two groups most effected by the child-resistant cap issue. Conventionally, these safety caps have required multiple actions to accomplish removal of the caps. Thus, for example, some prior art safety caps have required the user to press inwardly on a portion of the cap while simultaneously twisting the cap to achieve removal of the cap. Other prior art safety caps have required the user to twist the cap in a first direction, lift it slightly and, then, twist it in a second direction in order to remove the cap. Numerous other multiple action safety caps have been proposed. However, many of these have been so complicated to remove that even authorized persons have had difficulty in removing the caps. Other so-called safety caps have been ineffective and can be removed by anyone with little or no effort. Still other prior art safety caps have been complex devices which have been prohibitively expensive to manufacture and purchase. Furthermore, most of the prior art safety caps have been useful with either solid or liquid medications, but have not been adaptable for interchangeable use. Thus, none of the prior art safety caps have been entirely satisfactory.